Forgotten stains & spills

Sometimes stains that have been hidden by soil are revealed after cleaning. These stains, which did not immediately cause discolouration, are often from spilled liquid containing colourless sugar that remained on the fibres. After long exposure to the air, they changed to insoluble brown stains. The stains may look like brownish discolourations, but often they remain unnoticed because of the accumulated soil covering them. Some food and drink stains may inevitably turn even darker from the necessary drying action after a thorough cleaning.

Other kinds of stains can be caused by water soaking through and dissolving materials that cause browning, or dissolving fugitive dyes from the back of the carpet, rug or upholstery. Because the fibres act as wicks, moisture will rise to the surface to evaporate, and discolouration will be left. Consumers who try to remove stains by using the wrong cleaning compounds and procedures may only make the stained areas more noticeable.

As professional cleaners we use specialty cleaning and stain removal treatments to improve the appearance of forgotten drink spills – cola, coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, soda and others. Even with the best treatments, some coloured residue or caramelized sugar stain resulting from the prior spillage may remain.

To lessen the possibility of stain damage, immediate action should be taken. It is helpful if you take the following steps:-

Thoroughly absorb all moisture and, when possible, put a half-inch thickness of clean, white absorbent material, such as paper or cloth towelling, over the area and weight it down.